Saraina Wanless & Clark, 1975

Azarkina, Galina, 2009, A review of the West African genus Saraina (Araneae, Salticidae), ZooKeys 16 (16), pp. 291-300 : 292

Genus Saraina Wanless & Clark, 1975

Type species: Saraina rubrofasciata Wanless & Clark, 1975

Diagnosis. This genus can be recognized by the shape of the copulatory organs: a counterclockwise tegulum and embolus originating on the prolateral side of tegulum ( Figs 2 , 9 , 19 , and fig. 5 G in Szűts and Scharff 2005) in males, and an epigyne with two lateral narrow openings, two bent sclerotized structures ( Figs 16 , 24, 25 ) and a long, coiled insemination duct ( Figs 17 , 26 ) in females.

Saraina is a fissidentate genus. The structure of the male copulatory organs is unique: the tibia has three apophyses – ventral, medial and dorsal ( Fig. 1 ). The whip-liked embolus is long and thin, originating from the prolateral side, and directed inwards of the cymbium ( Szűts and Scharff 2005). The relationships of this genus to other salticid genera are unclear (see Wanless and Clark 1975; Dippenaar-Schoeman and Jocqué 1997). The cheliceral base in both sexes and the female copulatory organs in Saraina resemble those of some Euophryinae (see also Wanless and Clark 1975, pp. 288-289), while the male copulatory organs are more similar to those of some Thiodininae .

Figures

Figure 1. Palpal tibia, retrolateral view: 1 ventral apophysis, 2 medial apophysis; 3 dorsal apophysis.

Figures 2-8. Saraina deltshevi, sp. n.: 2 right palp, ventral view 3 ditto, retrolateral view 4 ditto, ventroapical view 5 left chelicera, holotype 6 left chelicera, paratype 7 palpal tibia, retrolateroapical view 8 ditto, dorsal view. Scale = 0.1 mm.

Figures 9-15. Saraina kindamba, sp. n.: 9 left palp, ventral view 10 ditto, retrolateral view 11 ditto, ventroapical view 12 palpal tibia, retrolateroapical view 13 left female chelicera 14 left male chelicera 15 palpal tibia, dorsal view. Scale = 0.1 mm.

Figures 19-23. Saraina rubrofasciata: 19 left palpus, ventral view 20 ditto, retrolateral view 21 ditto, ventroapical view 22 palpal tibia, dorsal view 23 ditto, retrolateroapical view. Scale = 0.1 mm.

Figures 16-18. Saraina kindamba, sp. n.: 16 epigyne, ventral view 17 spermathecae, dorsal view 18 scheme of insemination ducts. Scale = 0.1 mm.

Figures 24-29. Saraina rubrofasciata: 24 epigyne, ventral view, holotype 25 epigyne, ventral view 26 spermathecae, dorsal view 27 left male chelicera 28 left female chelicera 29 scheme of insemination ducts. Scale = 0.1 mm.